Hypodermic syringe



May 3, 1955 E. HOSKINS ETAL HYPODERMIC SYRINGE 2 Shets-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 1-8, 1951 EVERE77' L. H JAMEg W LEE -May 3, 1955 E. HosKlNs EI'ALHYPODERMIC SYRINGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 18, 1951 INVENTOR.

EVERETT L. Hos/(ms JAMESBJK LEE M SE ,M PB 2M A RNEKQ United StatesPatent HYPonEnMic SYRINGE Everett L. Hosldns, New York, N. Y., and JamesW. Lee, Westfieid, N. 5., assignors to Cook-Waite Laboratories, Inc.,New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 18, 1951,Serial No. 237,434 15 Claims. (Cl. 128--218) This invention relates tomedicinal hypodermic syringes of the disposable type and in particularit relates to improved constructions of several elements individuallyand in combination with each other whereby the entire assembly ismaintained in sterile condition indefinitely prior to use. The entiresyringe is composed of improved separable units of such economicalconstruction that any or all may be disposed of after use.

Various other features of this invention are inherent in the descriptionand will be best understood by reference to the drawings herewith, ofwhich,

Fig. 1 shows an assembly of a syringe;

Fig. 2 shows a similar assembly in the first stage of use;

Fig. 3 shows the next stage of use, again the same assembly, as Fig. 2,with the plunger slightly depressed;

Fig. 4 is the final stage of use of the same assembly as Figs. 2 and 3with the piston depressed sufficiently to eject all of the contents ofthe syringe;

Fig. 5 is a modification of finger gripping means provided at anintermediate point of the barrel for indefinite length cartridges;

Fig. 6 shows a similar modification to Fig. 5 with the finger grippingelement at the outer end of the tubular cartridge;

Fig. 7 shows a side view of a modified needle construction having bothcartridge and plunger clamping elements;

Fig. 8 is a modified combination like Fig. 1 showing the mounting of theneedle assembly of Fig. 7 in the combination, the needle being in planview with respect of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a section through the expanded piston on the end of theplunger rod and clamping element thereabout, taken on the line 99 ofFig. 7.

As shown herein, and referring to Figs. 1-4, a tubular cartridge 10conventionally of glass, plastic or other preferably transparentmaterial, has mounted therein snugly and fitted in fluid tight mannerwithin the base thereof two slidable stoppers, the innermost of which 11(referring to the end of the tube bearing the needle assembly), has acentrally cut away portion 12 to provide a readily penetrable diaphragmportion 13 mounted inwardly from the end of the tube 10 a sufiicientdistance to provide a cylindrical empty space defining a housing 14 intowhich projects the inner end 15 of a hollow pointed hypodermic needle. 1

As shown in Fig. 1, the pointed end of hypodermic needle portion 15.need not be in actual contact with the stopper 11, but in an alternatemodification, asshown in Fig. 2, it is sometimes desirable that theinnermost cork 11 be mounted with the needle partially penetrated asshown at 16. The slidable stopper 17 near the other end of the tube 10primarily acts as a piston, but it likewise is preferably inserted ashort distance from the outer end of the tube to leave a cylindricalspace 18 for ready insertion and support of a plunger rod 19 for movingthe piston stopper 17 during operation of the syringe as shown in Figs.2 to 4. The medicinal composition to be hywith the ice podermicallyinjected is enclosed in the space 20 between the two stoppers 11 and 17.

The needle assembly comprises a flat sealing element 21 comprising agenerally circular plate-like disc large enough in diameter to be fittedentirely across the inner end of the tube 10 and is preferably formed ofmetal or strong plastic material.

The disc 21 has centrally secured to one face thereof, and preferablyintegral therewith, a small cylindrical hub member 24 through which isfirmly supported a hollow hypodermic needle having a substantial innerneedle portion thereof 15 projecting entirely through said disc 21 andan outer needle portion 27 generally but not necessarily longer than theinner needle portion, protruding in the opposite direction from saiddisc and hub, the entire needle being generally normally supported withrespect to the plane of the disc 21.

Mounted normally from opposite edges of the disc 21 in a direct-ion tolie generally parallel to but radially disposed from the inner needleportion 15, is a pair of clamping arms 22 preferably integral with, butwhich may be otherwise securely fastened to the outer peripheral edgesof disc 21. The clamping arms 22 are arcuate in contour to follow atleast for a port-ion of the length thereof in the same curvature as theperiphery of the disc 21 from which they are normally supported. Theclamping arms 22, supported from opposite sides of the disc, each extendonly a partial distance about the circumference of the disc to define ayoke-like assembly with the disc readily insertable over an end of thecartridge tube 10 to secure the disc and hypodermic needle mountedtherein in clamped position thereabout, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6. Theclamping arms 22 as supported in this manner are slightly resilient toallow the tube to be firmly secured in the manner shown, but additionalreverse curvature may be supplied as shown in the needle assembly ofFigs. 5 and 6 to enhance the springlike effect. However, it is preferredto flare the outer ends of said clamping arms in a sweeping curvelaterally beginning about one-half inch from juncture with the disc toprovide at the ends of the clamping arms 22 linger gripping ear members23.

It will be noted that while the spring arms, in view of the mountingfrom the disc and curvature thereof, have inherent stiff resilience tosecurely clamp about the end of cylindrical tube 10, additional clampeifect is exerted thereabout in use when tension by finger gripping pullis applied to the ear members 23.

The hub member 24 as shown is smoothly cylindrical and thereby adaptedto frictionally receive and retain as at 25 the hollow end of a plungerrod 19 which acts as a sheath to encase and protect in sterile conditionthe outer end of the needle 27. The plunger rod 19 has a flattenedportion 26 at the opposite end thereof to close the hollow portion ofthe rod and provide a knob useful to manually 1 actuate the pistonstopper 17 in normal use of the syringe.

The hollow needle is pointed at both ends 28 and at the outer end 27, atleast, is preferably pointed by being tapered in a flat plane at anacute angle to the needle axis. The efiect of this is to direct thefluid emitted from the tip of the needle in a direction lateral to theaxis of the needle. In use, the needle is inserted at an inclinationlateral orifice directed outwardly so the fluid tends to pass out towardthe surface of the body being injected. With normal syringes of theprior art it has been the practice carefully to rotate the syringe untilthe needle outlet is in though, as this operation requires unusual care,it is often the same plane as that defined by the finger gripping earsthe proper position for injection, al-

23 so that only slight care is necessary to grasp the syringe by thefinger gripping means 23 in a manner to have the tip opening 28 upward.

In operation of the modification shown in Figs. l4, when it is desiredto use the syringe, the plunger rod 19 is removed from its positionabout the outer end of the needle 27 as shown in Fig. l and inverted tothe position shown in Fig. 2. The two finger grip elements 23 are heldbetween two forefingers while the plunger rod 19 is depressed by thethumb upon the piston stopper 17 which moves inwardly. The medicinalfluid 2% under pressure of the piston stopper 17 acts as a hydrostaticforce transfer medium whereby the inner stopper 11 is moved downwardupon the inner end of the needle 15 which is thereby caused tocompletely penetrate through the diaphragm 13 in the stopper 11 wherebythe hollow needle 15 comes into direct communication with the medicinalcontents 20 of the tubular cartridge as shown in Fig. 3. At this point,the outer end of the hypodermic needle, positioned so that the taperedpoint is outwardly directed, is inserted into the body to be injectedand the plunger is compleley depressed to the position shown in Fig. 4with both stoppers in contact, so that the medicinal content is ejectedfrom the tubular cartridge.

It will be appreciated that where the modification of Fig. l is used, itis necessary to first depress the plunger until the slidable stopper 11is moved in the tube to the end thereof to be penetrated by the innerend of the needle 15 before inserting the outer end of the needle 27into the body to be injected in order to prevent injection of aircontained in chamber 14 by the initial action of moving the stopper 11into needle penetrating position. However, in a modification shown inFig. 2 the needle is assembled with the inner open end thereof 15already partially penetrated into the stopper 11 whereby substantiallyno air can enter the needle, it is often possible to insert the needleinto the body to be injected and the stopper 11 moved to needlepenetrated position in a single setting and fluid ejecting operation.Moreover, according to this modification, the penetration of stopper 11is more easily completed.

In another modification, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the stopper 11 may bemounted substantially flush within one end of the tube 10, the pistonstopper 17 alone being mounted inwardly from the opposite end of thetube 1% to leave only the chamber 18. The tube in inoperative positionis mounted inverted with respect to a needle and clamping assembly 29.Thus, in this modification it is merely necessary to mount the cartridgewith the stoppers, only the piston 17 of which is slidable, positionedinvert-edly, whereby the inner end of the needle is protected within thecylindrical space 18 until ready for use. With such modification, in usethe cartridge is withdrawn manually from the needle assembly 29 andinverted so that the needle end 15 is manually forced to penetrate thediaphragm portion 13 of the stopper and firmly clamped thereabout. It isthereby unnecessary to move stopper 11 in any manner since, by mereinversion and manual penetration of the needle, the hypodermic assemblyis ready for use. The open space 18 by this modification by properpositioning of piston stopper 17 acts as a protective chamber for thesterile inner end of needle 15.

It is sometimes desirable, where larger quantities of medicament arenecessary than could be retained in a standard size cartridge, to makethe same of substantially elongated length with respect to that shown inFigs. 1 to 4 to thereby contain greater quantities of medicinal fluid.For such cartridge, the gripping means 23 associated with the needleassembly may be out of reach of the forefingers, and it becomesdesirable in such cases to mount the gripping means at some intermediatepoint along the barrel comprising the cartridge 1%. Thus, as furthershown in Fig. 5, a resilient banding element 31} of rubber or plastic ofa substantial degree of hardness to readily withstand manualdeformation, but at the same time having suificicnt resiliency toflexibly grip the barrel It), is mounted at an intermediate point aboutthe barrel. This banding element has a projecting flange 31 which may begripped between the two forefingers to act as a finger grip for thebarrel. The needle assembly itself 29 need not be flared to providefinger grips 23 as described above but, instead, the pair of resilientclamping arms 22 indicated in Fig. 5 by the numeral 32 will merely havesufiicient curve at 33 to act as a steady resilient clamping means tosupport the needle in operative position at the end of the cartridge 10.The needle assembly 29, as thus described, is otherwise similar inconstruction to that shown for Fig. 1, having a flat disc plate member21 and a centrally mounted hub portion 24 through which is supported thehypodermic needle proper with a short inner end 15 and desirablyextending outer end 27, about which is mounted the hollow tubelikcplunger rod 19, the ends of which snugly fit about the hub 24 to protectthe outer portion of the needle in sterile condition when not in use.

Fig. 6 shows a modification of Pig. 5 in having the resilient bandingelement 30 mounted that the very end of the cartridge 10. With thismodification, the outer end of the tubular cartridge is preferablyflared to provide a flange 34 to retain the resilient band 30 fromsliding off of the tube when under tension of the finger gripping flange31 in use. This modification again has as its primary objective adisposable cartridge and finger gripping element mounted in a mostconvenient manner upon a tubular cartridge barrel of indefinite length.

In the normal use of disposable syringes, the tubular shaft of theplunger element 19, as described above, is substantially loosely fittedwithin the chamber 18 of the tube 11) comprising the barrel of thecartridge to actuate the piston stopper 17 to effect ejection of thecontents of the tube. The piston stopper 17 is generally made of softrubber and ofttimes fibrous material and, with the substantially smalldiameter of the plunger tube 19 with repect to the larger tube 111comprising the barrel, the plunger tends both to wobble loosely withinthe larger bore and sometimes to penetrate or to apply a pressure to thepiston 17 so unevenly as to displace the same sidewise. This causes thepiston 17 to bind in the tube or be displaced into inoperative positionentirely. ln the past, this problem has either been ignored or theplunger tube 19 has been made suflieiently large to closely complementthe bore of the barrel 10. With the latter construction, the tube 19 aswell as the tube must be made substantially expensive to have an evenbore throughout to avoid binding of the two tubes sliding one againstthe next.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a novel type plungerconstruction is illustrated wherein the plunger tube 19 is flared at theend thereof at 35 to provide a widened, piston-like portion 35 which iseffective to distribute the pressure evenly over the top of the pistonstopper 17 and to prevent displacement of the piston 17 by unevenpressure thereon. The flared portion 35 comprising the piston-likeelement of the plunger rod, has a shoulder 36 a short distance from theend of the rod, which allows cooperation thereof with a means forclamping the rod as a sheath in inoperative position about the elongatedouter end of the needle 27 to protect the same in sterile conditionprior to use. In order to allow cooperation thereof with a spring typeof clamp and for securing the same in clamped inoperative position, theflared portion 35 is flattened on two opposite sides 27 as shown in Fig.9. Two depending arms 38 are mounted dependent from the flat discportion 21 of the needle assembly, the needle assembly of thismodification (see Fig. 8), being otherwise similar to that shown inFigs. 1-4, that is, having springlike cylindrical arms 22 also mountedto the flat plate portion 21 terminating in a wide flaring fingergripping portion 23. The dependent arms of each have a portion 39 at theend bent inwardly towards the other, the pair of arms and bent portionbeing slightly flexible, the hooklike gripping members of which are at adistance from the disc 21 suflicient to cooperate with the shoulder 36defining the inner end of the flared portion of the plunger 19 to gripthe same in clamp operative position. The hollow portion of the plunger19 within the piston-like element is bored to receive the hub portion ofthe needle 24 as well as the extended portion of the outer end of theneedle 27.

In inoperative position, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the clampingelements 38 with hooks 39 are normally and resiliently spaced so thatwhen the plunger rod 19 is presented for assembly the flat portionsthereof 37 will pass between the hooked ends of the clamp 39 toencompass the hub 24 and needle 27. Then, by giving the plunger rod 19 a90 twist on the hub as a pivot, the hooked portions 39 cooperate withthe shoulder portion 36 or the flared piston-like portion to effect aclamping relationship with the resilient arms 38 and hooks 39 wherebythe plunger and needle become mounted together in secure, undisplaceableand sterile assembly until ready for use. When this modification of thesyringe assembly is to be used, it becomes merely necessary to give theplunger another 90 turn, withdraw the plunger from clamped position, andinvert the same to the opposite end of the cartridge for use as shown inany of the assembled Figs. 26.

An additional advantage of the dependent plunger clamping means shownhere is that the turned clamping ends 39 in normal use act as a betterbarrier snubber against the patients body than the normal hub portion 24to prevent striking of the body to be injected by the hub 24 upon deeppenetration of the needle into the body to be injected.

Thus, an improved needle construction adapted to readily clamp to theends of a tubular medicinal cartridge :1

or to have improved clamping arms flared to provide a finger gripintegral therewith; or to further have oppositely depending clamps tocooperate with a modified plunger construction is described. An improvedtubular cartridge construction is further described, having in onemodification a flared end to retain a resilient banding element, and inanother modification a resilient banding element mounted intermediatethe ends of an indefinitely long cartridge; or a tubular cartridgehaving the stoppers slidable and one or more thereof mountedintermediate the ends of the tube to provide a sterile chamber for theinwardly projecting needle assembled therewith in inoperative position,one stopper of which may be advanced by the hydrostatic pressure ofoperation of the opposite pistonlike cork until pierced by the needle;or another modified form of cartridge which may have only the slidablestopper mounted inwardly from an end of the cartridge to define achamber to protect the needle when the cartridge is mounted invertedlytherewith, the cartridge being adapted to be reversed with respect tothe needle assembly when ready for use.

Finally, an improved plunger construction is described which cooperateswith an additional pair of projecting clamping arms on the end of theneedle, the clamping elements serving to clamp a pistonlike elementforming part of the plunger in tightly clamped relation as a sheath ininoperative position about the needle to protect the same in sterilecondition, and in use the pistonlike element acting to evenly distributepressure over the pistonlike cork for ejection of the contents of thecartridge, the clamping elements protruding from the needle having theadditional function of acting as stops to prevent damage to the bodyinjected by driving impact of the total mo mentum of the body of thesyringe assembly in use.

The several figures of the drawing describe the improved elements andcombinations thereof, but it will be understood that certainmodifications known in the art may be used.

As thus described, it will be apparent that the several views shownherein in the drawings are to be regarded 6 as illustrative and notlimiting except as defined in the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. In a hypodermic syringe the combination of an elongated disposabletype tubular cartridge having slidable stoppers confining a body ofinjectible fluid therebetween, at least one of said stoppers beingmounted intermediate the ends of the tube to provide at least onecylindrical open chamber portion in the tube, a hypodermic needleassembly comprising an elongated hollow needle tapered to points at bothends and supported at an intermediate point through an annular platecoaxial therewith, a hub carried by said plate on the outer exposed sidesurrounding said needle, said needle assembly having a pair of resilientspring arms mounted on diametrically opposite portions of the peripheryof said plate generally parallel to the axis of said needle, said springarms being mounted in clamping relationship about the open chamber endof said tube with the annular plate supporting element for the needleforming a closure for said chamber, and a hollow, manually-activatableplunger rod cooperating with said needle hub for support thereby as asterile protective sheath for the outwardly extending portion of theneedle prior to use,

7 and cooperative with an open chamber portion of said tube as a supportfor plunger operation thereof against a stopper when said plunger rod isinverted for use.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the assembly furthercarries resilient means laterally protruding from said tube adapted tobe gripped by the fingers in the actuation of said hypodermic syringe toeject the contents thereof.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the tube has associatedtherewith resilient finger gripping elements laterally protruding fromsaid assembly adapted to be gripped by the fingers in the operation ofsaid syringe, said resilient finger gripping elements comprising a pairof laterally extending flared ears integral with the springlike clampingarms of said needle assembly, whereby the gripping of said syringethrough said finger gripping means enhances the clamping effect of saidneedle and facilitates the holding of said syringe in the operationthereof.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said needle andcartridge assembly has laterally extending from the cartridge aresilient finger gripping means, said finger gripping means comprising aresilient band mounted about the outside of and frictionally grippingsaid cartridge.

5. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said needle andcartridge assembly has laterally extending from the cartridge aresilient finger gripping means, said finger gripping means comprising aresilient band mounted about the outside of said cartridge intermediatethe ends thereof.

6. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said needle andcartridge assembly has laterally extending from the cartridge aresilient finger gripping means, said finger gripping means comprising aresilient band mounted about the outside of said cartridge at the outerend thereof, said tubular cartridge being flared to form a retainingflange for said resilient band.

7. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the needle assemblyhas a hub on the outer face integral a with said annular plate throughwhich the hollow needle is supported, said hollow tubular plungerelement being mounted about said hub and forming a sheath to protect insterile condition the outwardly extending needle portion of said needleassembly, the end associated with said hub of said plunger element beingflared to a wider portion flattened upon two opposite sides to define apistonlike element adapted to distribute the pressure more evenly upon aslidable stopper in the actuation thereof, said needle assembly having apair of springlike clamping elements dependent therefrom in thedirection of the outwardly extending portion of the needle and separateda sufficient distance to receive therebetween the flattened portion ofsaid piston element, said clamping elements having inturned hooidikeportions adapted to engage the flared piston portion to clamp theplunger rod in protective position upon said hub when the plunger rod isturned radially about said hub.

8. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the slidable stopperswithin said tubular cartridge are both fixed inwardly from each endthereof to define cylindrical open spaces at the ends thereof, of whichone forms a protective chamber about the inwardly extending portion ofthe needle to protect the inner needle end in inoperative and sterilecondition prior to use and the other forms an open cylindrical guide forthe plunger rod in use.

9. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein only one of thestoppers, adapted to he slidaoly operated as a piston, is mounted insaid cartridge at a point intermediate an end of said tubular cartridge,the other stopper being mounted at the extreme opposite end of said tubeto confine iniectible fiuid therebetween, said cartridge being mountedinvertedly with said needle assembly in inoperative sterile positionwith the inner end of said needle protected within the cylindrical spacein the end of the tube formed between said piston stopper and theannular plate clamped about the chamber end of the tube, said assemblybeing adapted to be manually inverted in use with the needle assemblyclamped about the opposite end of the tube with the inner needle portionpenetrating the stopper in the end thereof.

10. A hypodermic needle assembly adapted to be clamped to the end of adisposable cartridge containing body injectible fluid comprising ahollow needle having both ends tapered by grinding the points thereof ina plane at an acute angle to the axis thereof whereby the openings atthe ends thereof is substantially lateral to the axis of the needle,said needle being mounted in an annular plate normal to the axis of saidneedle inter mediate the ends thereof, a pair of springlike armsresiliently mounted integral with the edges of said annular plate toextend substantially parallel to the axis of the needle, said springlikearms being curved substantially to conform to the periphery of saidcircular plate along the axis thereof parallel to said needle, saidradially curved spring arms being mounted from said annular plate atdiametrically opposite peripheral portions thereof and each beingsufiiciently narrow to comprise a short are of the circumference of saidannular plate, whereby they are capable of receiving and tightlygripping the cylindrical end of a tube to support the circular platelikeelement as a substantial closure thereof with one end of the needleprotruding into the tube, and a pair of clamping arms depending fromsaid disc in an opposite direction to the first mentioned spring armsand adapted to clampingly retain a sheathing member about the oppositeend of said needle.

11. The needle assembly defined in claim 10 wherein the first pair ofspring arms are each widely and oppositely flared in a lateral directionrrorn the axis thereof to provide finger gripping means at the outerends thereof.

12. The needle assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein the second pairof depending clamping elements have inturned ends adapted to coact withand securely retain a pair of shoulders carried by a needle sheathingmember for mounting upon said needle.

13. A hypodermic needle assembly comprising two pairs of parallel springarms resiliently mounted, each pair extending in an opposite directionvertically from the periphery of an annular plate-like member, each armadapted to apply resilient pressure against an opposite arm of each pairto securely support by clamping a tubular element therebetween, a hubmember protruding vertically from the center of one face of theplatelike member, the spring arms extending from the platelike member onthe side carrying the hub having the outer ends thereof bent inwardlyeach towards the opposite spring arm and terminating to define a narrowspace therebetween, and a hollow needle firmly mounted verticallythrough the center of said hub and platelike member to have asubstantial portion thereof protruding on opposite sides of saidplate-like member and hub.

14. A plunger element for a hypodermic syringe comprising an elongatednarrow bore hollow tube having one end closed by an annular plate-likeknob and the other end flared to a widened piston-like portion extendinga short distance along the shank from the open end thereof andterminating inwardly from said end in an annular shoulder, said flaredportion being flattened radially inward on two opposite sides.

15. The needle assembly defined in claim 10 wherein the first pair ofspring arms are each widely and op ositely flared laterally from theneedle axis to provide finger gripping means at the outer ends thereof,at least the outer point of the hollow needle being tapered in a planeat an acute angle to the axis of said needle whereby liquid passingtherethrough will be deflected laterally to said axis and in a directionsubstantially normal to the plane of said widely flared spring arms.

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